Thursday, May 29, 2014

Review: Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Unremembered (Unremembered, #1)
Unremembered
Jessica Brody
Series: Unremembered (Book 1)
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Source: Our shelf

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.

Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

From popular young adult author Jessica Brody comes a compelling and suspenseful new sci-fi series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.




Review


Unremembered is not what I expected! It was much more!
 
And just as a warning, this review may contain spoilers!
 
We start off with an amnesic Jane Doe--the sole survivor of a plane crash. {Mystery!} People begin to call her Violet because of her vivid purple eyes. Violet is sent to live with a foster family since NO ONE knows who she is or claims her as their daughter/sister/girlfriend/etc. Ok, let me stop right here and express my love for the foster family. Brody did an amazing job at writing this part of the story. Though we only hear from Violet's point of view, the uncertainties and love the Carlsons have for her is abundantly clear. Cody, even in his awkward thirteen-year-oldness shows deep concern and affection for Violet.
 
As daily life continues, Violet learns things. Things like what a supermarket is, what the internet does, and what cell phone is used for. It is baffling that she doesn't know some of the most basic aspects of modern society. But, I get it--she's been through a major trauma.
 
We have the dark and mysterious boy that pops in and out of Violet's life a few times, vaguely revealing a few snippets of Violet's past. And this is where I have the most problems with Unremembered...I don't understand Zen. I don't honestly believe he and Sera (we learn her real name from Zen) are soul mates. There just isn't any chemistry between them. And, instead of just filling her in on everything, he's very sly and coy about what he shares. I don't understand this--why doesn't he just tell her everything? I think Brody might have said why, but it was so paper-thin that I don't remember...
 
In all honesty, I liked the relationship between Sera and Cody so much more than Sear and Zen.
 
There is also a major plot arch that i didn't see coming...I mean really didn't see it coming. And it's kinda the like the most major part of the story. It's the why. And I like it. I've read books with similar plots that weren't quite as put together. I appreciate the simple way in which Brody introduces and explains it. It works. And I can roll with it.
 
And then there's the ending. Which I didn't like when I first finished the book. I felt cheated. And it felt cheap. However...the more I've thought through and processed Unremembered, I really think this might have been the best ending. It does leave enough open-ended that the story can continue, but it also closes off enough that Unremembered could stand alone.
 
A little bit more truth for ya...I'll throw this in for free...I was fortunate to see Jessica Brody while she was on tour at a local book shop. At that point I hadn't heard of Unremembered until that day, and listening to her talk about it made me want to read it. So I bought it, had it autographed. And now I've read it. And really liked it!
 

4 Moons!

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Friday, May 23, 2014

Stacking The Shelves #38

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a post for bloggers to share what books they've received to review, bought, won, borrowed or were gifted.


These are all freebies I found through Bookbub this week.



Someone to Believe In (O'Neil Brothers, #1)

Bailey O’Neil, aka, the Street Angel, has been the arch enemy of Senator Clay Wainwright since he was a district attorney and she a young, idealistic social worker. He put her in jail for harboring a teen offender and never looked back. Eleven years later, she’s a thorn in his side as an anti-gang specialist trying to get kids out of gangs. While Clay wants to put them in jail, Bailey is determined to help these troubled teenagers make good lives for themselves. But when Bailey and Clay are thrown together on the mayor’s task force, the impossible happens—they’re attracted to each other. Their passion erupts early on, and only grows stronger the further they get into a relationship. When they fall deeply in love, their conflicting views drive a wedge between them. Both the Street Angel and the Senator must find a way to deal with their differences in order to make a life together.


Rise of the Fallen (All the King's Men, #1)
In the streets of Chicago exists an uneasy, centuries-old truce between vampires and their distant cousins, a race of shifters called drecks. Vampire enforcement agency, All the King’s Men (AKM), is charged with maintaining the truce, but when volatile enforcer Micah Black loses his mate and falls into the biological agony that results from the broken bond, he tests the boundaries of the truce by seeking out Apostle, a leader in the dreck community. Micah wants Apostle to kill him, a request Apostle is more than happy to fulfill.

When ex-Army medic Samantha Garrett inadvertently disrupts the plot and saves Micah’s life, a chain reaction sets Micah’s heart on a collision course with Sam’s, but he will have to protect her from Apostle and her obsessive ex-husband, Steve, if they will have a chance at forever. Can Micah hold his emotions together to keep Sam alive?


Deep Blue Secret (The Water Keepers, #1)
California teen, Sadie James, thinks her life couldn't get any better. She has great friends, an energetic mother she adores, and the beach practically in her own backyard. But her carefree life is turned upside down when she's rescued by a mysterious and strangely familiar boy who won't even tell her his name.

Each time the boy appears, Sadie's unexplainable attraction to him deepens along with her need to unravel his secrets. The boy is there to protect her. But as wonderful and exciting as it might be to have an irresistible boy with crystal green eyes protecting her every move, every minute of the day . . . why does Sadie need one?

As Sadie finds answers, she realizes her life isn't as perfect as she thought. Not only is she caught in a world of dangerous secret agents she never knew existed, but it turns out her true identity may be the greatest secret of all.


I LOVE me some freebies!!!
Have you read any of these titles?
That’s it for me this week.
Can’t wait to see what you got!
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Book Spotlight: Reflection by Kim Cresswell

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I am very excited about sharing this new excerpt from Reflection by Kim Cresswell with you today.


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Reflection
Kim Cresswell
Series: Whitney Steel
Print Length: 336 pages 
Published: May 18, 2014
Florida investigative reporter, Whitney Steel, has lived in the shadow of her legendary father long enough. To prove herself she needs to find the “Big” story.
She found it.
Now it may kill her.
After Whitney receives a lead pointing to the world’s first cloned human, now a small child, she vows to unravel the truth.
However, sifting through the facts proves to have dangerous results, including death threats and murder.
When Whitney is nearly killed, but is saved by undercover FBI Special Agent, Blake Neely, he refuses to let her get in the way of his own objective—at least not right away.
Caught in a lethal game between a billionaire obsessed with genetic perfection, his hit man’s thirst for retribution, and a Colombian drug lord fresh out of prison determined to make Blake pay for his twin brother’s death over a decade ago…
Can they save an innocent child before it’s too late?
Faced with tough choices, with deadly consequences for many—Whitney soon realizes that sometimes a story becomes more than just a story.


 
Excerpt from REFLECTION (A Whitney Steel Novel) By Kim Cresswell


The second the elevator doors opened, Nathan Shaw greeted Whitney.

“You’re late, Miss Steel.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Shaw.” She followed the man dressed in a casual gray shirt and black dress pants into a huge office.

Behind her, metal doors slid shut like a tomb.

“I was held up with your—”

“Have a seat.”

Photographs Whitney had seen of the billionaire did not do him justice. He looked even stranger in person, with receding salt and pepper hair clipped short around his ears, a longer than usual neck and an odd-shaped, beefy face.

She took a seat across from him and realized he was gawking at her breasts. From the background information she’d discovered, Nathan enjoyed shocking others with unconventional behavior. Well, not this gal.

“Thank you for seeing me.”

“My pleasure. Of course, I took the liberty and did my own research on you, Miss Steel. You’re top in your field. Pretty impressive for a woman, and a young woman at that. Why are you here today?”

Realizing her legs were shaking, she crossed them. Besides, now Nathan was trying to get a peek up her skirt. What a creep.

“A follow up—because of ShawBioGen’s research and development activities into products to treat inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.” She tugged open her purse, found her tape recorder and carefully placed it between them on the most ornate Chippendale coffee table she’d ever seen. At least the man had excellent taste when it came to furniture. He sure didn’t have much taste in anything else.

He stared at her with wide saucer-shaped eyes. “Miss Steel, you really are quite cute and you do intrigue me, but what you just mentioned is old news.” His eyes narrowed. “Why are you really here?”

Her breath caught in her throat and for a second she was speechless.

“Get to the point. I’m a busy man.”

“Very well.” She pressed play on the tape recorder and prayed he hadn’t noticed her fingers shaking.

“In the political realm recently, there has been a lot of debate over the moral issues of cloning humans. Since your company has, in the past, cloned dogs, cows and other creatures, would you consider cloning humans?”

Nathan stood and slipped his hands in his pants pockets.

“Yes, of course, if it were legal. My focus is on reproductive cloning to allow infertile couples, unable to reproduce via other means, to have a genetically related child.”

“There have been some rumors circulating, so I must ask, is your company cloning humans?”

He showed no reaction to the question, instead sauntered across the plush carpet and stopped behind her. So close, in fact, she felt his warm, moist breath down the back of her neck. Gross. She wanted to pounce out of the chair and drop kick him. It took every ounce of willpower not to.

“For a veteran reporter and a woman who has a brain in her head, I’m surprised you’d yield to such gossip.” He moved around the chair and stood in front of her.

Don’t let him get to you. This is what he does. Gets in your personal space, hoping to scare you off.

“So for the record, these are simply rumors?”

He gave her a withering stare, and then burst into high pitched nasal laughter. “First off, I’m sure you are aware that cloning humans in this country is illegal. Second, if it were legal, I’d be sharing that incredible technology with countries around the world. Can you imagine what a person could do with that type of technology?”

Yes she could, and had already seen the outcome on videotape. A helpless young child trapped in a horrid environment. Determined not to fall apart, Whitney gritted her teeth.

When he bent down and looked at her, for a split second, she swore she saw the devil in his stormy black eyes.

“Do you believe I’m cloning humans, Miss Steel?”

A cold-to-the-bone chill drifted through her body. “Of course not, Mr. Shaw. But as a reporter it is my duty to investigate such rumors.”

“I understand.” He settled in the chair across from her. “I’m sorry to say, our time is up. You’ll be supplied with a press kit on the way out.”

Managing the weakest fake smile she could muster, Whitney pressed the stop button and tossed the tape recorder in her purse. At that moment, the tomb-like doors slid open. She’d hit a chord with Nathan. Her punishment: being sent home like a child.

“I do hope you have a very safe trip back to Oregon, Miss Steel.”


 

About The Author


Kim Cresswell resides in Ontario, Canada. Trained as a legal assistant, Kim has been a story-teller all her life but took many detours including; working in legal and adult education before returning to her first love, writing.

Her debut romantic suspense, REFLECTION, has won numerous awards:
  • InD'tale Magazine 2014 Rone Award Finalist (Suspense/Thriller)
  • UP Authors Fiction Challenge Winner (2013)
  • Silicon Valley's Romance Writers of America (RWA) "Gotcha!" Romantic Suspense Winner (2004)
  • Honourable Mention in Calgary's (RWA) The Writer's Voice Contest (2006).
  • LETHAL JOURNEY was a finalist in From the Heart Romance Writers (FTHRW) Golden Gate Contest (2003)
Her action-packed thrillers have been highly praised by reviewers and readers. As one reviewer said, "Buckle up, Hang on tight!"

Kim recently entered the true crime writing arena. Real Life Evil - A True Crime Quickie (two short stories) was published in January 2014. You can read her latest true crime stories in Serial Killer Quarterly, a new quarterly e-magazine published by Grinning Man Press.

Website/Blog  | Facebook  |  Twitter  | Amazon Author Page
 

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Hello, my name is Rebecca and I have a problem.


Are you like me? Do you have a never ending to-read pile on Goodreads, stacks of still to be read books on your physical book shelves, numerous review copies, and yet…


I am a free book addict.


There I have said it!


I find a free eBook with a decent blurb (or crazy one) and I’m like
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Gif found here.

Now you may be thinking… Just priorities! Only let yourself read one free pick book to every review book. And for goodness sake stop going and looking for all those free eBooks. Well, that’s not going to happen so let me just tell you how I find lots of free books so you can join in on the crazyWinking smile


Book deal sites I frequent


BookBub
Image links to site.

Bookbub is one of my favorite sites. You can search by genre, or price. They send me an email with new free eBooks. (Yes, this is part of the problem. But, I just can’t unsubscribe!)


ReaderGiveaways.com
Image links to site. 

ReaderGiveaway.com is like the indie Bookbub. Again this site is very easy to search.


There are numerous other sites but the two above are my favorite. Also there is always the library… I download audio books from the library more often then I use my audible account.

Are you like me? Do you love seeing what crazy books are out there that just happen to be free?
What are your favorite sites to frequent?
Happy reading!
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Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen


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"Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at “Breaking the Spine”, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

What I'm Waiting On?


The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #1)

The Queen of the Tearling
Erika Johansen
Series: The Queen of the Tearling (Book 1)
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: July 8, 2014

On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon—from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown.

Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust.

But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend…if she can survive.

The Queen of the Tearling introduces readers to a world as fully imagined and terrifying as that of The Hunger Games, with characters as vivid and intriguing as those of The Game of Thrones, and a wholly original heroine. Combining thrilling action and twisting plot turns, it is a magnificent debut from the talented Erika Johansen.


Why I HATE Waiting!

This sounds like all the genres I love most culminating into this amazing read of epic-ness! Oh am so excited about getting my hands on this one.

Is The Queen of the Tearling on your to read list?
Can’t wait to see what books you are wanting this week?
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Review: Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

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Beautiful Chaos
Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl
Series: Beautiful Creatures #3
Paperback: 528 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: My Audible account.

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What — or who — will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself — forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.


Review


Oh. My. Gravy.  This series keeps getting better. 

This has become one of my favorite series!  I’m having a hard time writing a review I’m fanboying so much right now!

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Y’all, I started this before we went on vacation, and couldn’t listen to it at all for 8 days!  EIGHT WHOLE DAYS! So, needless to say, I was excited to get back to listening to Beautiful Chaos! And I finished it! 

Beautiful Chaos is dark and moody.  Things are happening, and they know the why but not the how to fix it.  Amma is trying her way, Lena & Ethan are trying theirs, while Macon & Liv are doing it their way.  But there are no answers.  THEN, the shadowing song begins anew.  And it’s a doozy.  And more things happen.  And then it comes to an end.



It’s a freakin’ cliffhanger, y’all!  And I hate cliffhangers.  I think they’re cheap tactics to make you get the next book/movie/show in the series…but you know what, I don’t mind that Garcia & Stohl ended Beautiful Chaos this way (mostly because Beautiful Redemption is already out).  It seemed to complete the story in the way it needed to.

There were some definite face-palm moments where you just really wanted to shake Lena & Ethan.  I felt they took a little too long to catch up.  I felt ahead of them for most of the story.  Which is a little odd-feeling.  And the fact that Amma really got on my nerves was frustrating, too.  She went real dark, and stayed there for the entire book.  I can understand, but it felt strange to me.

I also disliked John Breed for most of the story.  When I Tweeted Garcia & Stohl, Kami said she loved John, and since she did write the book and all, I decided to keep an open mind—which paid off, because now I really like him, too. 

So, my couple little irritants aside, Beautiful Chaos is a beautiful installment in the Caster Chronicles.  I already have Beautiful Redemption downloaded to my Audible app ready to start on my commute Monday morning!


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5 Moons

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Friday, May 16, 2014

How we celebrate Children’s Book Week

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In case you didn’t know this week is National Children’s Book Week! If you didn’t know don’t worry you still have the next couple of days to celebrate:)

This is how we have been celebrating thus far…

We have been reading some of our all time favorite children’s books we have been reading.
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Are any of these some of your family favorites?

My youngest has found a new all time favorite this week.
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The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen, and Dan Hanna. This is super fun to read out loud and my little one has walked around quoting it all week long.

Have an older child? My oldest is loving the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series! She is also loving…
How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous
I reviewed this title a while back. How They Croaked is factual and morbid in a fun way. Yes, I just said morbid in a fun way. This entertaining read is a great way for more mature kids to learn about historical figures.


Today we celebrated CBW in a super fun way! we attended the Children’s Book Carnival our local library hosted.
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This event was so much fun! My girls had a great time with all of the activities and games offered at the Carnival. The best part was the prizes. When you won a game you got a brand new book! Each of my girls left with a bag of books. Below are some pictures of our fun. 


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Did you know about CBW?
How did you, or how will you be celebrating Children’s Book Week?

$25 Giveaway to celebrate the Brand new covers for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle

COVER REVEAL!

Brand new covers for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle!
~A paranormal romance series by Taylor Dean~



I love my OLD covers. (Pictured on the left.) I really do. They're different from the norm and that's why they captured my attention.
For Lancaster House, I liked the idea of a hand reaching out from the grave. It seemed appropriate to the story; Andre reaches out to Zoe from beyond the grave. It was Carrie-like and kind of creepy.

There's just one problem.
This is not a horror novel. Not at all. This is a paranormal romance. People who like horror are drawn to the cover and are sadly disappointed when they realize it's a romance.
People who love paranormal romance are turned off by the cover because it looks too creepy.
In other words, the cover just wasn't working.


I love The Middle Aisle cover because it matched Lancaster House so perfectly. And part of the story takes place in Monterey, California. Monterey is known for its Cypress trees. The tree on the cover of The Middle Aisle reminded me of a Cypress tree and seemed perfect.
But, if the right people aren't reading the first book, no one will ever read the second one no matter what the cover looks like!
Bam! Decision made!
It was time for new covers for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle! I love the new covers because they speak so perfectly as to what's on the inside.




Without further ado, here they are, the new covers!






Add
Lancaster House
to
 



 
Lancaster House
on
 
 


Add
The Middle Aisle
to
 
The Middle Aisle

on
 


Author Taylor DeanTaylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.WEBSITE * FACEBOOK * TWITTER* GOODREADS

Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/8/14
Open Internationally
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, May 15, 2014

A bookish musical show?!?! ABC’s Galavant… Oh YES!



I Just saw this on FB yesterday and had to share in the off chance that you have not seen it. I have not been this excited about watching something since I found out late last year that they are going to turn the Princess Bride into a stage musical.

Watch this trailer and you will see what has got me so giddy for a TV show of all things!


I think Galavant looks like it will be epic fun to watch. But really how could I not... It's a comedy musical fairytale! ABC says there will be more to come, including more trailers, soon.

So what do you think?

Are you a fan of this sort of thing or am I alone on this one???
Happy Bookish Watching,